The Camden Rotary Club’s annual Music by the Sea celebration will bring four free concerts to Camden Village Green and the Library Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 4.

The music will run from noon to 7:30 p.m., "leaving time to grab dinner before fireworks light up the skies at 9 p.m.," said the Rotary, in a news release.

Concertgoers may bring picnic blankets and beach chairs to the Amphitheatre. Free water and popcorn will be available, and the club will welcome voluntary donations to support local food banks.

Four Midcoast-based bands fill the lineup:

Noon – 1:00 p.m. Bay Chamber Concerts Jazz Ensemble (Village Green)

2:00 – 3:15 p.m. Red Hot Peppers Dixieland and Ragtime (Library Amphitheatre)

4:00 – 5:15 p.m. Midcoast Community Band July 4th (Library Amphitheatre)

6:00 – 7:30 p.m. The Right Track R&B/Soul/Funk (Library Amphitheatre)

The Camden Rotary provides the following descriptions:

Bay Chamber Jazz Ensemble, part of Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School, includes teachers who help musicians at all levels explore jazz music in a fun, supportive environment. Listeners enjoy the group’s jazz and blues every 4th of July.

The Red Hot Peppers, led by keyboardist, arranger, and composer Sean Fleming, performs lively, family-friendly concerts featuring Dixieland and ragtime music, often including pieces originally performed by Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, and other jazz pioneers.

The Midcoast Community Band, established in 1986, plays everything from classical music and Broadway show tunes to marches and pop hits at events throughout the region. Band members include students, music teachers, businesspeople, and retirees.

The Right Track is an 11-piece Soul/Funk/classic R&B band with a full horn section and a solid reputation for getting people on their feet to dance – and dance some more.

Music by the Sea is an annual gift to the community, according to the Rotary, and is made possible by generous sponsorships from local businesses and individuals. Their contributions support the club’s annual grants to Knox County and Lincolnville nonprofit organizations.

This year, the club awarded grants to Penobscot Bay YMCA, MCH Meals on Wheels, AIO Food & Energy Assistance, Homeworthy, MidCoast Regional Housing Trust, Wayfinder Schools, Camden Area District Nursing Association, and Knox Clinic. 

The Camden Rotary Club meets at noon on Tuesdays in person at the First Congregational Church in Camden or via Zoom. Complete details are available at www.camdenrotary.org, and visitors are welcome.